Our Blog

“God gave us grace. We baptized 29 people who had accepted Jesus Christ in December 2018.”

Received today from Pr. Charles, Harvest Vision coordinator in Kayunga in central Uganda.

“This witchcraft family gave their lives to Jesus. Seven of them and their witchcraft tools were destroyed in Jesus name and we baptized them.”

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefor go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

A pretty lazy day on Monday. The girls slept in and made purple pancakes for breakfast and then we had some stand-out games of UNO and pick up sticks before driving them back to Marysville. Thanks to Gabe Fields that joined me and thousands of others on the March for Life in Olympia the next day. Just a wonderful two days of bathing in the goodness of God and reflecting on the intense and unquenchable love He has for all the precious lives that He has created.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children on God.” 1 Jn 3:1

Thanks to everyone who has prayed, joined with us, allowed us to join with them and those that have financially supported our co-laborers in the harvest fields locally, in Mexico and in Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan and the DRCongo in central Africa in 2018. These are some of the ways in which the Lord has been working.

Locally, we participated in the Skagit County Fair, various celebrations and the Christmas & July 4th parades, five weekends of ministry at the I-5 Rest Area, and the 6th Harvest Fest at Riverfront Park. We visited Alert Bay, BC, had 4 teams to Mexico and 10 people on 3 different mission trips to Africa. Many people are visiting the Harvest Home and supporting various ministries in the local community. We now have Harvest Vision Ministries liaisons in Snohomish and Pierce Counties in WA. Visits to Skagit Valley from Mexico director, Olivia, and from Africa director, Martin and his family. Martin also shared about the ministry in Tennessee, Cayman Islands and Oklahoma. Currently revising the website and looking forward to preparing and equipping more people for the harvest fields.

Harvest Kids purchased mosquito nets & mattresses and have helped start building another school for vulnerable children in Uganda. They are also supporting teachers for the primary school for pygmies in the DRCongo as well as the Comfort Africa ministry. They have started work on a greenhouse project here in Skagit County which includes aquaphonics. They have done various outreaches and hosted a 5 day Child’s Evangelism Fellowship club in the summer, a float in the July 4th parade and are starting a dance & tambourine team. Harvest Kids went on the June and Dec mission trips to Mexico and 3 were baptized on each trip.

Miguel & Olivia traveled to south Mexico to support a new coordinator in Michoacan. Pr. Oved now has the sound & video equipment needed to reach people in his community. The ministry continues to provide the worship trailer and van for church families reaching the lost in the San Luis area and are supporting prison, rehab, feeding, clothing and other ministries in the city and outlying areas. They also have discipleship training, tambourine dance, sewing ministry and have hosted various Mexico & USA mission teams.

Our coordinators in Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan and the DRCongo have coordinated 334 outreaches in 2018 and through November have witnessed 26,355 come to salvation. They have received new sound and video equipment and other supplies, including 130 solar powered audio bibles and 125 water filters. We now have a 2nd coordinator in central Uganda. The coordinators have purchased two cars and two motorbikes to support their transportation needs and sustainability projects to help them meet their personal family needs while they coordinate evangelism, train pastors and leaders, strengthen existing churches and plant new ones.

If you would like to make a donation, they can be made on line at www.myegiving/hvmor the “electronic giving” on the home page of the www.harvestvisionministries.org website or through PayPal to harvestvision21@msn.com. If you would like to donate electronically but do not have access to the internet or would like someone to assist you, please call George Henson at 360-421-8811 or Kylee Walker at 360-540-0890. To maximize your gift, on donations directly out of a checking or savings account a fee of $.25 is withheld, while credit and debit cards the fee is $.25 + 2.7%. You can also mail donations to Harvest Vision Ministries, PO Box 733, Sedro Woolley, WA, 98284. All donations are tax-deductible and help advance the gospel of Jesus Christ and build His Kingdom.

We were blessed to have a call from Pr. Martin who over-sees Harvest Vision in Africa. We just received testimonies of over 2,700 people that came to faith in Christ in December through the outreaches that he helps coordinate through these leaders in Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan and the DRCongo. They sacrifice so much and we are blessed to be able to stand with them. They have to sacrifice just to come up with the money for transport to get the 11 sets of equipment to the different locations in their areas to share the gospel. They sent a list of broken cables and equipment that needs to be replaced or repaired which costs $1,672 and the tires on Martin’s ministry vehicle need replaced ($400) and someone tried to steal the car so he is needing an alarm system and electronic key ($600). Here in the USA we are a relatively small ministry helping support these workers. We would like to help even more, which we do by using every donation to help expand the kingdom. We don’t have an offering basket to pass, but we know that God has called us to “prepare and equip those in the harvest fields” and we are grateful to do that. Would you join with us?

If you would like to make a donation, they can be made on line at www.myegiving/hvmor the “electronic giving” on the home page of the www.harvestvisionministries.org website or through PayPal to harvestvision21@msn.com. If you would like to donate electronically but do not have access to the internet or would like someone to assist you, please call George Henson at 360-421-8811 or Kylee Walker at 360-540-0890. To maximize your gift, on donations directly out of a checking or savings account a fee of $.25 is withheld, while credit and debit cards the fee is $.25 + 2.7%. You can also mail donations to Harvest Vision Ministries, PO Box 733, Sedro Woolley, WA, 98284. All donations are tax-deductible and help advance the gospel of Jesus Christ and build His Kingdom.

We are so excited about the green house which will have an aquaphonics garden and a traditional soil garden. The aquaphonics will include a tank for fish and the water and nutrients from them will be used to flow over and through a gravel type bed and another portion will have foam floating on the water where we are planning to plant flowers. The plants grow with no soil and after harvesting will be put in hanging pots and flower boxes the young people will build and will be given to those in need or available for donations for the ongoing ministry. Eventually, we will identify people who would be blessed to have a smaller version for their home or apartment which would allow them to have fish in a small tank and have plants that are grown the same way next to their fish.

The soil portion of the greenhouse will have benches where plants will be started from seeds and then transferred to pots or to a garden plot next to the greenhouse. As the crops are harvested by our young gardeners we will be asking some of our older, gifted people to spend time with these young people and teach them how to: turn a cucumber into a pickle; cabbage into sauerkraut; berries into jams, jellies and pies and to can and freeze fruits and vegetables. These will be available to help people in need and also available for donations at local open markets. Again the primary objective is to build relationships with others in such a way that our own personal relationship with the Lord is strengthened and through the love of Jesus, others would be encouraged to have a relationship with Him. Eventually, we will identify people who would be blessed to have a raised garden in the yard of their home, trailer or apartment or even a box garden on their porch. Again, it is about building multi-generational and multi-cultural relationships.

Today, Wayne and George worked on filling in around the fish tank and starting to set the end walls. After the end walls and doors are installed, we will be ready to cover the greenhouse and begin building the planting racks.

Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.” (John 15:16)

“Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, ‘I am strong!’ Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord! Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:9-11, 14)

Our plowshares and pruning hooks represent the gifts and resources God has trusted us with in this world. Soon He will come and see if we have been faithful to invest them in His Kingdom to produce a harvest of fruit that will last.

We have just received the testimonies of the faithful servants that we help support in central Africa. They helped coordinate 29 outreaches in December and witnessed 2,744 new believers become “fruit that last”. Throughout the year with the help of those that pray and provide financial support, they were in the harvest fields 1,000 days coordinating 363 outreaches and crusades that witnessed 29,099 come to salvation. They also were involved in teaching and preparing pastor’s and leaders, strengthening existing church families and helping plant new ones and helping meet the basic needs of the people, especially orphans and widows.

If you would like to make a donation, they can be made on line at www.myegiving/hvmor the “electronic giving” on the home page of the www.harvestvisionministries.org website or through PayPal to harvestvision21@msn.com. If you would like to donate electronically but do not have access to the internet or would like someone to assist you, please call George Henson at 360-421-8811 or Kylee Walker at 360-540-0890. To maximize your gift, on donations directly out of a checking or savings account a fee of $.25 is withheld, while credit and debit cards the fee is $.25 + 2.7%. You can also mail donations to Harvest Vision Ministries, PO Box 733, Sedro Woolley, WA, 98284. All donations are tax-deductible and help advance the gospel of Jesus Christ and build His Kingdom.

It was cloudy and a little windy when I arrived at the front of the Planned Parenthood building on Thursday morning. A blessing to meet Jim who was standing in front to intercede for the moms, babies and staff, many of whom would be involved in the abortions that had been planned for the day. Definitely a morning to consider that everyone driving by started their whole day making choices. Starting as far back as the color of the car they were driving, the relationship they are currently in and the place they choose to live. They made a choice today, whether they would get up or stay in bed and whether they would eat breakfast or have a cup of coffee before they left for wherever they had chosen to be going. Choice. Interesting. Knowing that some of the people that God created for His glory that would enter the building behind me would not even be going in there by their own choice and neither would they choose whether they would be leaving the building the same way they came in this morning.

Pro-life or Pro-choice. As I prayed and walked, I was definitely encouraged by the many people that drove by and acknowledged the simple sign I was carrying with a honk, a thumbs up or a wave. To the chagrin of some that might even be reading this post, those far outnumbered the few that gave the middle finger salute with that hardened look on their faces. But even as I walked, the Holy Spirit was speaking into my heart. God is definitely Pro-Life. He created everyone in His image and He paid the penalty for the sin of all mankind when He allowed His sinless body to die on that cross 2,018 years ago. But He was Pro-Life, so He could ultimately achieve His will and that is to be the God of Pro-choice. Jesus chose that while we were still in our sin He would die so that through Him we might be saved. Now, the burden is back on us. To choose – life or death. I am convinced that every baby that is escorted into this building behind me, whether holding the hand of their mother, or in their arms or in their womb will either come out and go back to their homes here on earth or will go to their home in heaven. That is the peace that He gives those of us that believe.

What a beautiful day the Lord blessed the 17 kids that attended our first Harvest Kids for the year with. After crushing all the cans that had been donated, George presented photos capturing some of the incredible things that God has been doing through the Harvest Kids: the money donated for a roof for orphan kids in NW Uganda has now blossomed into the start of a 4-classroom school building with office; the hazelnut donations the kids collected in the last three months paid for the mission trip to Mexico over Christmas of a family from Hamilton where three of the Harvest Kids were baptized by their dad; that trip set in motion a new Harvest Kids tambourine and dance ministry that is starting; the cans being taken to Zee’s recycling in Bellingham brought us into contact with a young Hispanic father that invited us to attend his church family and they are now going to start collecting cans and fundraising to help vulnerable children in Africa with Harvest Kids and Kylie, one of the older girls helping with Harvest Kids, will be attending a special reunion for Christian Youth In Action leaders next weekend. The kids collected $272 which will pay for the last of the 26 mattresses for the orphans that live at the Canaan Foundation primary school in Mukono in central Uganda. After lunch, Lynn Griffin, from Child’s Evangelism Fellowship shared a message focused on Psalms 119:9, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word.” After memorizing the verse, Christina, shared a message about the prophet Samuel and how he was sent by God to anoint a king for Israel. She related the entire message to our personal decision to allow Jesus to be our one true King. We were blessed to know that some of our young kids responded to her invitation to open their hearts to Jesus. After the lesson, our new kids got to put their handprints on the wall, while the rest had a good time playing with the parachute. Afterwards, 13 of the kids traveled with us to the greenhouse project at Wayne and Rebecca Watne’s home. The kids got to see the chickens, pick up some cans and play while David, George and Isaac helped Wayne start working on the ends for the greenhouse. Afterwards, we extended the little “field” trip to the Children’s Museum at the Cascade Mall and then finished up at the Pizza Factory for a bite to eat before calling it a day. What a day!

So excited for our first Harvest Kids of 2019 this Saturday, Jan 12th. We are going to count the final money needed to buy the mattresses for the orphans at the Canaan primary school in Mukono, Uganda and start our next project which will be starting a sewing business with older orphan kids in the trading center next to the Nalidi Grace orphan school in eastern Uganda. We will also be seeing photos of the new school that was started in NW Uganda for children, including orphans, with the money the kids received selling corn last year. Lynn Griffin and Christina from Child’s Evangelism Fellowship will be there and presenting a message. We will also introduce the new HK tambourine ministry and share about the Christmas mission trip to Mexico. For those interested, after the regular HKids we will be going to Wayne’s to visit Walker the wonder dog, pick up some cans and check out the greenhouse. Afterwards we are going to the Children’s Museum in Burlington. We have tickets. Hope to see you for any and all. For parents or guardians, we will need new permission slips for 2019.

We are so thankful for our servants, Miguel and Olivia, who coordinate Harvest Vision in Mexico. They support outreaches in and around San Luis, Rio Colorado, Sonora and last year were brought into a relationship with Pr. Oved and Suri in the southern state of Michoacan. They have provided them with sound and video equipment that is available to reach the lost in communities in Michoacan, bring unity to the local church fellowships and unity to the Body of Christ. In Sonora, they continue to ensure the worship trailer is available to local church families that use it for outreaches and support ministries to the prison and rehabs and other ministries that reach the less fortunate in and around the city. They have a brother in Christ that will be staying at the mission home in San Luis while they journey to visit Michoacan for two weeks in mid-January. He will be maintaining the ministry while they are away. Please pray for their safe travel and that they will be a blessing and encouragement to Pr. Oved and Suri and the families of believers that are around their sphere of influence in Michoacan.

Many thanks to Leo & Luisa, who invited us to come and visit Pr. Honorio and the Iglesia Internacional Emmanuel church family in Bellingham. We met Leo at Zee’s Recycling where we take the crushed aluminum cans that the Harvest Kids collect in Skagit and Snohomish County to raise money to help vulnerable children in central Africa. What a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing. We were blessed to have Madilyn, Hailey and Laly from Harvest Kids and also Pr. Joe Miller’s wife, Nellie, join us for the afternoon. The church family had raised money for the Harvest Kids and we were blessed to receive that gift. We also met Jaime, a member of the church family that is leaving to Mexico to be reunited with his mother. As always, the brother leaves to travel to Michoacan on Wednesday which happens to be the same day the coordinators of our ministry in San Luis, Sonora leave for two weeks to visit the pastor and family that are coordinating Harvest Vision in Michoacan. We are thankful that we are participating in the work that God has already prepared in advance for us to be a part of. We shared information about the Harvest Kids and they were blessed to know that it was a ministry that was started by Madilyn and Hailey when they were only 5 & 3 years old. We are looking forward to deepening our relationship with the church community in Whatcom County and know that God is weaving us together as one. We were late getting Madilyn and Hailey home to Granite Falls, but as usual God showed up. We were able to get the training wheels on Madilyn and Hailey’s 3 year old sister Clara’s new bike, and watch her make her first ride and as we were walking out the door the heavens opened for the snow that Clara has been wanting all winter. Crazy love!

“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:23)

At this time of the year, we are usually inundated with this greeting from family, friends and many times, even strangers: “Happy New Year” and it is given with joy and hope for everyone that we share it with.

Our day to day conversation is normally baptized with the use of the word: new car, new clothes, new diet, new restaurant, new book, new TV show, new celebrity, new church family, new musical group, new song, new hobby, new best friend, new pastor, etc….

Jesus associates Himself with the word “new” throughout His Word.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” (Rev 2:17)

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!....’” (Rev 21:5)

We just received the testimonies from Pr. Evariste, our coordinator in Burundi. He worked in December with other pastors and leaders and coordinated 8 outreaches in 8 different communities over 16 days where they witnessed 387 new believers accept Jesus and begin their journey in the newness of Christ Jesus. With Jesus, it’s not about a new year, a new month, a new week or a new day. It is about being born again.

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Our experience has been, that in these small outreaches, the local leaders and believers pray and fast in advance for those in their community that don’t know how much God loves them. When they finally witness the Holy Spirit leading these people to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ, they rejoice and immediately take on the responsibility of discipling them through a local church family. During these outreaches, 280 believers were baptized and publicly proclaimed their new identity in Christ to everyone, including others that had not initially accepted Jesus. It is not unusual for the immediate growth in the local church families, including any new church plants, to far exceed the original number of new believers that accepted Jesus at the actual outreach, because the faith of the new believers through baptism opens even the hearts of those that didn’t respond to the original invitation to the truth and they in turn respond to the gospel. We are blessed that Pr. Evariste shares with us the numbers of people that initially accept Jesus when they make use of the sound and video equipment that we are privileged to provide, but as beautiful and encouraging as that is – it doesn’t even compare to the multiplicity that God uses to transform an entire community.

The team arrived safely on Saturday after midnight and were greeted by Dan, Nate, Matt, Miguel and Olivia. After a few hours of rest, we spent the morning getting to know each other and unload the many things that people had donated to support the ministry in Mexico. A real surprise seeing the big lemons on the tree that Linda planted years ago and then the team bagged up beans and rice that will be given to needy families throughout the week. Afterwards, the team traveled to a property outside of the city that Olivia inherited from her mother that could be used for a future mission. The team cut some of the trees and cleaned up the property while Olivia visited some of the families next to the property. Later, we were able to deliver some gifts to Christina that will be given to the children that she helps in her community. The living word says, “How pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” (Psalms 133:1)

Mx post day 2

Amazing Sunday morning here in San Luis, Mexico. We were up early to make up 178 torta sandwiches that we would be taking to an outreach for 33 families from different parts of south Mexico that are living in tents on the sidewalk going in to the USA. We attended a wonderful Christmas fellowship with the Manantial de Vida church family, enjoyed a great Christmas lunch and were able to encourage and be encouraged by sharing testimonies with one another.

The Manantial de Vida church family was prompted by the Holy Spirit to share the love of Jesus with 33 families with children from different states in South Mexico that have been living in tents and tarps on the sidewalk leading into the USA. They purchased food, drinks and gifts and asked Harvest Vision to supply 178 torta sandwiches that would be given to them as a blessing. A beautiful outpouring of love and compassion and we were able to pray with them corporately and for them individually.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words and tongue but with actions and truth.”

(1 John 3:16-18)

Mx post day 3

Christmas Eve and our 3rd day in San Luis, Mx with Miguel, Olivia and the Harvest Vision family. Georgia helped us start our day with a simple devotion: “Why do we worry about getting presents when we have the truth found in John 3:16?” Our sister, Sophia, came and has spent all day teaching the team to make tamales for the Christmas Eve celebration here at the fellowship center next to the mission home that we stay in. Had to make some repairs around the home, but managed to get a little soccer time in. Sorting beans, packing soaps and lotions for distribution and helping Miguel set up for the celebration.

We were blessed to visit our precious sisters, Josefina and Brenda, and their family. Many thanks to Molly and Andy Salveson, who came to Mexico years ago and met Brenda, who is unable to walk, and have never forgot to send her gifts every Christmas. A blessing to be a part of that kind of love. A double blessing to have a different team every year witness God’s promise to Josefina and Brenda: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” We ended our visit with Brenda singing a praise song and our two youngest team members, Melody (10) and Deziray (8) praying for Josefina and Brenda.

What a blessed Christmas Eve the Lord had planned for us. We are so thankful to have been brought together by the true and living God that desires that we would live together to worship and bring Him glory.

“Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise His Name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in His People; He crowns the humble with salvation.” (Psalm 149:1-4)

Around the campfire, we thanked God for His birth, death and resurrection that brought us together. Some only spoke in English and some only in Spanish, but the Holy Spirit translated every word spoken into the language of the heart.

Mx post day 4

Christmas day in Mexico and 8 year old Deziray nailed it with her first ever devotion:

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

A restful day of fellowship and calling our loved ones in the USA. Another great dinner prepared by Miguel and then we joined Pr. Fidel and the Centro de Suenos (Dream Center) church family for Christmas message and celebration. It was humbling to witness our team members praying for all those that came forward for prayer. Whatever burdens the people had were cast off and the scriptures were fulfilled:

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12)

Mx post day 5

What an encouraging and challenging message from Kylie’s devotional this morning.

“Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14). So why are we allowing ourselves to lust after the things of the world? Today the team was blessed to visit Pr. Cristina’s and her husband, Reuben’s, ministry at the Church of the New Dawn on the outskirts of the city. Many children, from 40-120, come at any time. Thanks to Olivia for coordinating the outreach and Yvanne and Itzel for helping translate. Nate shared a word of encouragement and the girl’s shared the wordless book. Afterwards, candy, bags of beans and rice, hats and mittens were given to everyone. They also donated wooden puzzles the kids had painted, cut and packaged up in Washington. While many of the team, played soccer and taught them games to play with the parachute that the Harvest Kids had donated, twenty of the older children, joined Georgia to learn how to paint on canvas. Beautiful.

What a wonderful thing to witness a young talented woman like Georgia pour out her gift to these young people she had never met until today.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

(1 Peter 4:10)

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Pro 22:6)

Thank you, David, for your leadership in the family that God has entrusted to you. What a blessing to have their oldest daughter, Kylie, baptized in Mexico in the spring. And now, David is honored to baptize their other three girls today. God bless you, Georgia, Melody and Deziray.

Mx post day 6 & 7

This morning was our last time to be together as a team for this mission and we were blessed to have Nate share the morning devotion. He reminded everyone about the importance of holding on to the ways in which the Holy Spirit has revealed Himself to us as we prepare to return to the familiar things we left one week ago. For many people, this is the first time they have spent a full week - morning, noon and night - where everything we do, think and feel are somehow done in the Presence of God and washed with His Word. We aren’t talking about Bible thumping, but a reverent attitude about what it really means to be called children of God. We were able to replace pieces of foam over the back porch cover before taking off to Phoenix to drop Dan, Matt & Nate off for their flight home. David and George picked up 5 gallons of paint for Olivia to take to the women’s federal prison so they can paint the interior of their church building and a new microwave to replace the one in the mission home. Shells and the girls cleaned up the mission home, bagged up hazelnuts for Miguel and Olivia to distribute and attended a service with a local church family that they had never attended before. The next morning, Shells and the girls showed Olivia how to sew the wordless books together and left all the materials needed to teach others how to make them. Olivia prepared us a lunch of scrumptious tacos before we had our last round table. Everyone shared the special moments they experienced working together as the Body of Christ and especially meaningful was witnessing Georgia, Melody and Deziray sharing their love and faith in Jesus during their baptisms. As believers, we had the privilege of telling each other, “See ya later”, instead of having to say “Unless you decide later to open your heart to Jesus, I have to honestly tell you this may mean, Good-bye.”

Sad, but true. We are now on the ~27 hour voyage to Washington. Joyful for our fellowship in Mexico, a touch of sadness in having to leave and the anticipation of being with our family and friends in Washington and looking forward to the return of Jesus when we will spend eternity together, but not only in Spirit, but in every way. No long drives; CU laters or good-byes; no translators; no passports, visas or border crossings; no more longing to be in Washington, Africa and Mexico at the same time; no more wanting to be at the prayer meeting, worship service, alone reading God’s Word, visiting someone in the prison, hospital and convalescent center, praying in front of the abortion clinic or reaching out to a homeless person at the same time - just spending time with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost together forever and forever. Amen.

CEF hosted a group activity about different ways people celebrate Christmas. They sat in a circle and passed around a toy while playing music. Whoever had the toy when the music stopped got to share what they do for Christmas. Afterward, sang “Joy to the World.” Lynn read the candy cane story, giving the girls candy canes and handed out gifts for the children’s mothers, consisting of information on Child’s Evangelism Fellowship. Then made candy canes out of pipe cleaners.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” (Psalms 127:1) Many thanks to the Harvest Kids, from the youngest to the oldest, for working in the cold weather to do some more work on the greenhouse. Also, thanks to Linda for bringing us lunch and hot chocolate. We finished painting the tops of the PVC arches, bracing the side walls, preparing the place for the fish tank and trenching the fish tank drain line. Fred got his gang together and set the fish tank and Wayne and David got it leveled. The fish tank will be the source of the water for the garden portion of the aquaphonics project. Half of the greenhouse will be used to accommodate the aquaphonics and the other half will be used as a typical soil garden for planting and establishing “starts” that will be transplanted to the outside garden for continued growing and eventual harvesting. The Lord will provide older “Harvest Kids” that know how to prepare these vegetables and fruits for eating: fresh, boiled, steamed or baked; canned or pickled, sliced or diced – all healthy and yummy to the tummy. Our next phase is to frame the end walls.

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel:

‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing?’ Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ The word of the Lord came to me: ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of My words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 12:21-28)

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together will glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)

Weekly breakfast with the brothers, fellowship at the Harvest Home, kids making puzzles for other kids in Mexico for their Christmas mission team, Rabecca teaching everyone how to use the new t-shirt machine, sharing about the Lord’s goodness, encouraging one another, seeking how we can reach out to the broken-hearted and those crushed in spirit in our spheres of influence, breaking bread together and rejoicing in the testimonies of those getting saved locally and around the world. And all of it “washed in His Word” and sealed with prayer. Getting ready to go to Wayne and Rebecca Watnes with the Harvest Kids to work on their greenhouse.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

We are so thankful to witness the Body of Christ being used by the Holy Spirit to reach the lost in these communities in central Africa. We have not received the testimonies of the salvations in eastern Uganda or in north Kenya in November, but we did receive the remaining testimonies from the other coordinators. They coordinated 31 outreaches and 2,330 new believers have taken their rightful place in the kingdom and are now in our eternal family.

Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it: And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and say, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:3-7)

Many thanks to everyone that collects their aluminum cans and donates them for the Harvest Kids to recycle. Over 5 years, these young warriors have been committed to make a difference in the lives of less fortunate vulnerable children in central Africa, many of whom are orphaned and born aid’s infected. There motto has been, “We CAN make a difference” and we have witnessed the true meaning of the question, “What CAN faith do?”. We are thankful for our sister, Cheryl, who has faithfully brought her trailer over to load up the cans and drive them to visit our Christian brothers at Zee’s Recycling in Lynden. This year, the kids have recycled 2,400 pounds and donated over $1,000 to support Comfort Africa and help pay the teachers at the primary school for the Wambuti pygmy tribe on Idjwe Island in the DRCongo. During our visits to Zee’s, we have become acquainted with one of their young workers, that after hearing the testimonies of Harvest Kids, has led his family into praying and supporting the work. He prays with his family and was so blessed that his 5 year old son, Estevan, wanted to donate his $1 towards meeting this need. That is the same age that Madilyn was when her mother helped her and her 3 year old sister, Hailey, start the ministry

Many thanks to the Lyman Baptist church family that have supported David & Shells and their four daughters that will be spending their Christmas holidays in San Luis, Mexico. We were blessed with a wonderful group of volunteers to help set up and clean up, donations to enjoy a nice spaghetti dinner, donors who contributed a variety of very nice items for the silent auction, supporters who donated for the many items and a brave and gifted group of brothers and sisters that participated at the talent show. Thanks to Wayne Watne for being the emcee. Most of the young performers are active in Harvest Kids and four of them will be going on the mission trip. The talents included songs, dance, poetry and Walker, the Wonder Dog, doing his disappearing hamburger trick. Just to ensure no one left believing it was rigged, Wayne actually produced a second hamburger and it disappeared also. The kids finale was the wordless book song, which is a simple and foundational way to share the gospel using colors – sin (black), forgiveness (red), purity (white), growth with the Holy Spirit (green) and heaven (gold). It was a wonderful time of fellowship and provided people with an opportunity to visit and share their testimonies and faith. A blessing to have received $1,800 that will help make that mission successful. The team will be leaving on the evening of December 20th and driving straight through to San Luis, Mexico across the border of Yuma, Arizona and will be back in Skagit Valley on December 29th. Please pray for traveling mercies, that the Lord will draw us closer to Himself and each other, that we will be an encouragement to our fellow believers in Mexico and that the love of Jesus will prompt many people to come to faith in Jesus Christ. We will be ministering in the local community, with different church families, the streets, rehabs and in the outlying cardboard city area.

What a wonderful day to welcome Delilah, 5 years old, to her first time with Harvest Kids. After crushing the aluminum cans that are recycled to support vulnerable children in Africa, Delilah was able to put her handprint on the wall while the kids played a few songs on the piano. We were able to see videos showing the believers in Africa in brightly colored dresses as they worshipped the Lord and another video showing the different ways in which Harvest Kids help the children in Africa. The kids set on the floor to count all their change and had enough, $44, to purchase 2 more of the 26 mattresses needed for the orphans at the Canaan Foundation primary school in central Uganda. They had 22 to go until an anonymous donor who had heard about the kid’s project donated enough for 10 more. That means they only have 12 to go. Mama Linda prepared a traditional African meal and the kids set on the floor just like their brothers and sisters in Africa do and as God always does, it was at that moment that Rebecca arrived with Bishop Anthony from Uganda who is visiting the USA for the first time. The kids practiced the wordless book song that they will be doing at the talent show in the evening at the Mexico trip fundraiser and enjoyed a message about what we appreciate most about “Christmas” – Our presents or His Presence. We were blessed to have Anthony share a message for the kids and then as they did some coloring, Anthony was led to share another message to the adults that were attending to support the ministry. After Harvest Kids, Madilyn, Hailey and Laly helped Rebecca Klaus make up directories for Anthony’s church families in Uganda and were able to get both their handprints on the wall that represents the 200+ kids and adults that have supported the ministry the last 5 years.